TORONTO/CALGARY May 15 (Reuters) - Imperial Oil Ltd
, Canada's No. 2 integrated oil producer and refiner, is
accepting proposals from interested bidders for 500 of its
remaining company-owned Esso retail sites, according to four
sources familiar with the process.

Estimates for the value of the stations have varied widely
but could be worth more than C$1 billion ($831 million).

In January Imperial said it was evaluating selling the
stations but on Friday said no decision had been
made.

Some 1,200 of Imperial's 1,700 Esso-branded sites operate
under a wholesaler model, where the stations are owned by other
parties but retain the Esso brand and are supplied by Imperial,
which is majority-owned by Exxon Mobil Corp.

Parties interested in the assets include Parkland Fuel Corp
, Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc and CST Brands
Inc, said the sources, who asked not to be named as they
have not been cleared to discuss the matter publicly.

All three companies, some of the largest gas station
operators in Canada, already operate Esso-branded stations in
the country.

Local real estate developers, along with some private equity
buyers, are also showing interest in the gas stations, said two
of the sources.
Continued...